Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Feb 23, 2026

Global Financial Markets Rebound Amid Trade Deal Optimism

Global Financial Markets Rebound Amid Trade Deal Optimism

FTSE 100 rises by 2.71% as investor sentiment improves following US trade negotiations comments.
Global financial markets experienced a recovery during Tuesday's trading sessions, buoyed by optimism surrounding potential trade deals between the United States and its trading partners.

Comments from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggesting the likelihood of striking 'some good deals' contributed to alleviating recent market anxieties.

Despite this rebound, major indices remain significantly lower following a steep decline triggered last Wednesday by President Donald Trump's announcement of plans to impose new tariffs on various countries.

In the aftermath of these proposals, the FTSE 100—London's primary stock index—suffered substantial losses but reported a noteworthy increase of 2.71%, closing at 7,910.53, a rise of 208.45 points.

Market movements across Europe also reflected positive momentum, influenced by strong overnight trading in China.

The CAC 40 index in France rose by 2.5%, and Germany's DAX index saw an uptick of 2.36%.

In the United States, trading on Wall Street opened on a positive note with both the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbing by more than 3%.

This shift suggests that traders are becoming more optimistic about the potential outcomes of the ongoing tariff negotiations.

Senior technical analyst Axel Rudolph noted that after three days of significant selling, investors seized the opportunity presented by lower stock valuations.

However, tensions between the U.S. and China persist, as evidenced by China's firm commitment to 'fight to the end' in response to the U.S. administration's proposals to impose additional tariffs.

This backdrop of uncertainty continues to shape investor sentiment.

In currency markets, the British pound noted a slight recovery, trading up 0.3% against the U.S. dollar, reaching 1.276, and an increase of 0.45% against the euro at 1.170 upon the market's close.

In corporate news, shares of Ramsdens, a UK pawnbroker, soared by 14.6% to 235p following an upward revision of its profit outlook, benefiting from increased precious metal prices.

Ramsdens reported a 15% growth in profits from jewellery sales in the first half of the year.

Hilton Food Group also saw its stock rise by 0.7% to 857p, attributing its performance to a significant increase in sales driven by heightened demand in the UK market.

Conversely, BT Group experienced a decline of 3.1%, dropping to 151.3p, after analysts at UBS expressed concerns about potential negative impacts from Sky's recent strategic moves regarding broadband customer transfers to rival provider CityFibre.

The price of oil experienced a slight contraction, with Brent crude dipping by 0.34% to $63.99 (£50.11) as Tuesday's trading session reached its conclusion in London.

Among the day’s top gainers on the FTSE 100 were Rolls-Royce, which increased by 43.4p to 679.2p, Experian, up 187p to 3,278p, and Hiscox, which rose by 63p to 1,110p.

In contrast, notable fallers included BT, down 4.9p to 151.3p, and Standard Chartered, which slipped by 14.4p to 922.8p.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Diverging Polls Show Mixed Signals on UK Economic Revival as Confidence Remains Fragile
Spotify Expands AI-Driven ‘Prompted Playlists’ Feature to the United Kingdom and Other Markets
Greens and Reform UK Surge in Manchester By-Election, Threatening Labour’s Historic Stronghold
UK Businesses Push for Closer European Trade Links Amid Renewed US Tariff Uncertainty
Deloitte Global Overhaul Sparks Leadership Contest in the United Kingdom
University of Kentucky and Microsoft to Showcase Campus-Wide AI Innovation
UK Food System Faces Acute Vulnerability to Shocks, Experts Warn
Reform UK’s Proposed ICE-Style Deportation Scheme Triggers Sharp Backlash
U.S. Global Tariff Push Leaves Britain, Australia and Others Facing Higher Costs and Trade Strain
UK Police Officers Guarded 2010 Epstein Dinner Attended by Prince Andrew, Reports Say
US Trade Representative Affirms Commitment to Existing Tariff Agreements with UK and Other Partners
Activists at the Louvre hung a framed Reuters photograph of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor slumped in the back of a car leaving a police station on the day of his arrest
Metropolitan Police Deploys Palantir-Powered AI to Flag Potential Officer Misconduct
UK Parliament Rebukes Police Over Ban on Israeli Football Fans
Britain Emerges Among a Small Group of Nations Without a Religious Majority
UK’s Manufacturing Base at Risk as Soaring Energy Costs Weigh on Industry
Matt Goodwin’s Unconventional Campaign for Reform UK in the Gorton and Denton By-Election
US Military Movements in the UK Spark Speculation Over Preparations Related to Iran Tensions
UK Faces Significant Economic Risk From Trump’s New Global Tariff Regime
UK Defence Secretary Signals Intent to Deploy British Troops to Ukraine
UK Students Mark Lunar New Year as Universities Adjust to New Equality Compliance Rules
UK Government Weighs Removing Prince Andrew from Line of Succession After Arrest
Prince Andrew’s Arrest in UK Rekindles Scrutiny Over US Handling of Epstein Records
Trump’s Strategic Warning to UK Over Chagos Islands Deal Sparks Diplomatic Whiplash
Starmer Government Postpones Local Elections Affecting 4.5 Million Voters
UK Economy Remains Fragile Despite Recent Upturn in Headline Indicators
UK Businesses Face Fresh Uncertainty Following US Tariff Ruling
Reform UK’s Senior Figures Face Scrutiny Over Remarks on Women and Family Policy
UK Electric Vehicle Drive Threatened by Shortage of 44,000 Qualified Technicians
University of Kentucky Trustees Advance Academic Reforms and Approve Coliseum Plaza Purchase
Boris Johnson Calls for Immediate Deployment of UK Troops to Support Ukraine
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praises the rapid progress of Chinese tech companies.
North Korea's capital experiences a significant construction boom with the development of a new city district dubbed 'Pyonghattan'.
New electric vehicle charging service eliminates waiting times
Vox Populi confronts Justin Trudeau at Davos over vaccination policies
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki ENDS support for Ukrainian citizens:
The mayor of Rotherham in Britain
UK Confirms Preferential U.S. Trading Terms Will Continue After Supreme Court Tariff Ruling
U.S. and U.K. to Hold Talks on Diego Garcia as Iran Objects to Potential Military Use
UK Officials Weigh Possible Changes to Prince Andrew’s Position in Line of Succession Amid Ongoing Scrutiny
British Police Probe Epstein’s UK Airport Links and Expand High-Profile Inquiries
Early 2026 Data Suggests Tentative Recovery for UK Businesses and Households
UK Introduces Digital-First Passport Rules for Dual Citizens in Border Control Overhaul
Unable to Access Live Financial Data for January UK Surplus Report
UK ‘Working Closely with US’ to Assess Impact of Supreme Court Tariff Ruling
Trump Criticises UK Decision to Restrict Use of Bases in Potential Iran Strike Scenario
UK Foreign Secretary and U.S. State Chief Hold Strategic Talks as Tensions Rise Over Joint Air Base
King Charles III Opens London Fashion Week as Royal Family Faces Fresh Scrutiny
Trump’s Evolving Stance on UK Chagos Islands Deal Draws Renewed Scrutiny
House Democrat Says Former UK Ambassador Unable to Testify in Congressional Epstein Inquiry
×